Not Applicable.
Not Applicable.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to boxes for displaying a product sold at retail, such as a lamp, and more particularly, to a display box that is configured to provide for a cost effective product packaging process at the place of product packaging.
2. Description of the Related Art
After being manufactured, retail products, such as lamps and the like, are commonly packaged in a box for containing, transporting, and preferably, displaying the product at a retail location. Frequently, retailers want to display such products so that the appearance of the product can be viewed by prospective buyers. While manufacturers are certainly interested in providing a box that attractively displays their product, manufacturers are also concerned with the manufacturing costs associated with loading the product into the display box at the manufacturing or distribution site. A box that provides optimum product display characteristics may not provide for a cost effective packaging process at the manufacturing or distribution site.
Therefore, there is a continuing need for product display boxes having improved product display characteristics and having a configuration that allows the box to loaded with a product at a manufacturing site using a cost effective packaging process.
The foregoing needs are met by a box according to the invention which includes a bottom panel, a first side panel, a second side panel, a front panel, a top panel, a rear panel, a display opening having a perimeter, and an invertible panel. The bottom panel, the first side panel, the second side panel, the front panel, the top panel and the rear panel define an interior space of the box. The first side panel, the second side panel, the front panel, and the rear panel are foldably joined at their lower edges to the bottom panel and are foldably joined at their upper edges to the top panel. The first side panel and the second side panel are foldably joined at their front edges to the front panel and are foldably joined at their rear edges to the rear panel. The display opening is formed between at least a portion of the first side panel and at least a portion of the front panel.
The invertible panel of the box includes a top edge, a bottom edge, and opposed side edges, and is located above the display opening. The majority of the top edge of the invertible panel is not joined to any panels of the box and the majority of the bottom edge of the invertible panel is not joined to any panels of the box. One side edge of the invertible panel is foldably joined to the front panel and the other side edge of the invertible panel is foldably joined to the first side panel so that the invertible panel can be moved between a first position and a second position that is nearer a central portion of the interior space of the box than the first position.
In one form of the box, the invertible panel includes a first section and a second section wherein the first section is substantially coplanar with the front panel and the second section is substantially coplanar with the first side panel when the invertible panel is in the first position. In this form, the top panel is dimensioned such that a vertical passageway is formed behind the invertible panel when the invertible panel is in the first position. This form of the box allows the box to loaded with an article at a manufacturing site using a cost effective packaging process. Specifically, a person packaging the article is provided with this form of the box and an article having a body and a movable elongated support. The elongated support is placed into the vertical passageway such that a portion of the elongated support is above or rests on the top edge of the invertible panel. The body of the article is then positioned in the display opening of the box. A force is then applied to the article and/or the invertible panel whereby the invertible panel is moved into the second position and the article is contained within the interior space of the box.
It is therefore an advantage of the present invention to provide a box that allows retailers to display a product so that the appearance of the product can be viewed by prospective buyers.
It is another advantage of the present invention to provide a box having improved product display characteristics and having a configuration that allows the box to loaded with a product at a manufacturing site using a cost effective packaging process.
These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood upon consideration of the following detailed description, drawings, and appended claims.